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- Situational vs. behavioral interview questions: how to master them both!
Situational vs. behavioral interview questions: how to master them both!
Artwork by: Katya Vakulenko
- What are behavioral and situational interview questions?
- What is the difference between behavioral vs. situational interview questions?
- How to answer behavioral vs. situational interview questions (with examples)
- Key takeaways
You never know what you’ll be asked in an interview. Prepare for all scenarios by understanding the difference between behavioral and situational interview questions and crafting the answers that will knock your interview out of the park.
We all know how important it is to prepare for an interview. Once you’ve got your foot in the door, you’ll want to do everything you can to show the interviewer why you’re the best person for the job. You’ll likely encounter some typical interview questions, such as "Tell me about yourself," "Tell me something that's not on your resume,” or even "How many nickels would fit into this room?"
Two other types of questions you’re very likely to encounter are called behavioral and situational interview questions. Knowing the difference between the two, and how to craft top-notch answers for both, will help you ace your interview and increase your chances of getting the job.
In the article, we’ll discuss situational and behavioral interview questions, including:
What are behavioral and situational interview questions?
What is the difference between behavioral and situational interview questions?
Examples of behavioral and situational interview questions (with answers).
What are behavioral and situational interview questions?
Behavioral and situational interview questions are designed to go beyond a candidate’s basic skill set and determine how a candidate has dealt with challenging situations in the past and how they might be expected to handle issues down the road. Both questions are designed to be open-ended and require you to put together a clear, relevant answer on the spot.
The great thing about mastering these questions is that they are completely “you-focused” and can be prepared in advance because you already know the answers — you just have to decide what they are.
What is the difference between behavioral vs. situational interview questions?
Behavioral interview questions are based on your past experience and ask you to share instances when you’ve had to use soft skills to handle a specific challenge. Behavioral interview questions are set up to underscore your actual strengths, weaknesses, and decision-making skills without requiring you to rattle off a list.
Situational interview questions, on the other hand, are designed to be "future-focused," requiring you to think about how you might handle a hypothetical situation. In fact, they are often phrased as, "What would you do if…” Even if you’ve never been in that exact situation before, your answers should highlight your soft skills and illuminate your thought processes. The aim is to give the interviewer a good idea of how you’d handle the job.
- Determine how you accomplished your tasks, what resources you utilized, and what the outcome was (and what you learned).
- Be professional, but don’t be afraid to highlight your personality.
- Research the company you’re interviewing with. Understanding the company’s culture and values will help focus your answers.
- Lie. It’s too easy to get “lost in the weeds” if you’re fabricating situations to make yourself look better.
- Be vague. Stay on topic and don’t get bogged down with unnecessary details.
- Forget to prepare. You don’t want to get caught off-guard by a question.
How to answer behavioral vs. situational interview questions (with examples)
The most important thing you can do is go over your past work history and find examples of challenges you faced. Remember, behavioral questions will require you to come up with specific examples from your work history, while situational questions are hypothetical and will need support as to how you would respond based on the same background.
While you won't know exactly what you'll be asked in the interview, if you have several examples at the ready, you'll be able to adjust your answers appropriately. Both these questions will tell the interviewer if you prepared for the interview, your past behavior, and how you handle challenges.
Behavioral question example “Tell me about a time you utilized your organizational skills to improve efficiency in the workplace.” Example answer “When I started as the office manager at ABC Company, I realized that there was no centralized system for ordering supplies. Each department had its own order forms and there was a lot of duplication. I proposed to my boss that we create a shared online ordering system so that all supply needs would be channeled into one place. I talked to the head of each department to get their input and set up a site. The system was successful and is still used today.” |
Situational question example “How would you react and respond to an angry client who is upset about something that isn't your fault?” Example answer “I would listen to the client patiently, apologize sincerely, and try to figure out what the exact issue is. Then I would tell them what steps I plan to take to resolve the problem, take down their contact information, then follow through and connect with the right people who can help me fix the client’s problem. I would get back to them ASAP with a concrete solution and the steps we’re taking to ensure this doesn’t happen again.” |
Both situational and behavioral interview questions will allow you to show the hiring manager your priorities, values, and thinking process. It can also show off your communication skills and how well you work as part of a team and how you’d fit into the overall company culture. Answering these questions effectively can show that you’re a part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
Key takeaways
Behavioral questions ask you to talk about past experiences. Situational questions are more hypothetical and require you to think, "What if?"
You can prepare answers to both kinds of questions utilizing the STAR method.
Behavioral and situational interview questions give insight into how you’d perform as a potential employee.
